The Old Woman
and the Eagle

by Idries Shah

Illustrated by Natasha Delmar
Ages: 3 & up

In this amusing story, an old woman encounters an eagle for the first time. Perplexed by its unfamiliar appearance, she decides to change it to suit her own ideas of what a bird should look like. Her efforts mirror a common pattern of human thought: altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable.

This tale is specially presented for children by Afghan author Idries Shah, who, for more than 30 years, collected stories from the Sufi tradition and adapted them to contemporary Western culture. Told since ancient times throughout Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle East, such tales are used by Sufis to help foster greater mental flexibility and insight in people of all ages.

Natasha Delmar was born in Hong Kong and raised in Argentina. Now she lives and works in the Bay Area. Natasha learned to paint from her father, the celebrated classic Chinese painter Ng Yi-Ching. This is her first children’s book. Among the many insights that this story introduces to children is the idea that it takes patience and resolve to achieve one’s goals in life.

“Natasha Delmar’s
eye-catching color illustrations add
a special touch to
this wonderful story
about learning to be
open to new sights
and things.”
—Midwest Book Review

“A fine story of how not to change others, The Old Woman And The Eagle is a very highly recommended picturebook story.”
—Children’s Bookwatch The Picturebook Shelf

“Out of Afghanistan comes this simple Sufi folk story collected by the late, noted Afghan author. In this gloriously illustrated tale, an old woman grooms an eagle to represent what she thinks is a pigeon—the only type of bird with which she is familiar. … Delmar’s paintings are beautiful and realistic. The side panels with detailed borders reflect elements of the tale and foreshadow events or reflect the elegant setting. … the classic story, packaged in an elegant design, will be a good addition to every collection.” 
—Kirkus Reviews

“Children will love listening to these CDs while viewing the handsomely illustrated covers, and all listeners will appreciate the narrators’ willingness to engage in a storytelling tradition.”
—AudioFile Magazine